Facestretcher
The Facestretchers are a tribe of monster-like humans that are mentioned in Might and Magic: The Dreamwright, and appears in Might and Magic: The Shadowsmith. They lived in the Aulmad, and were named for their tradition of stretching the faces of their victims into large banners. They were dressed in "loose-fitting blouses and breeches of tawny brown fabric striped with black, with colorful sashes of red, orange, and gold about their waists." They wore soft, round hats that had a veil of white mesh, weighted with white pebbles. Beneath the veil, their faces were "swathed in black linen from the collar to just below the eyes", and they wore necklaces of small silver knives. They spoke the human language, but with a "somewhat peculiar accent". At night, they set up their banners in a loose ring around the camp. They would eat in groups of two or three, using jointed eating sticks. Late at night, they began "ritualistic recitations" and "chanted tales of ancient deeds". The facestretchers were bitter foes of the flaymen, who they considered to be clumsy, stupid, and animal-like. The facestretchers were refined and ritualistic, and ate carefully prepared meals mostly made of vegetables, while the flaymen enjoyed brutishness and spontaneity, and would brawl with one another for a piece of rotten meat. Hitch's encounter Hitch saw a tribe of about two dozen facestretchers on his trek through the Aulmad. He managed to hide, but watched in horror as the tribe found Jassad Attqua, who had just passed out. Some of them wanted to skin him right away, but it was decided to tie him up and bring him to a nearby meeting place, which was a few days of walking away. Momentarily losing sight of them, Hitch spotted a group of flaymen nearby. Deciding to use the rivalry between the groups to rescue Jassad, he created a trap-chain to lure the flaymen to the facestretcher camp. The flaymen, who were outnumbered by their foes, decided to follow the facestretchers and attack them at their meeting place, charging forward and hacking the banners to bits before they could react. Howling in anguish, the facestretchers threw themselves at their enemies, giving Hitch enough time to grab Jassad and get away during the scuffle. Banners Their banners were about six feet long and three feet high. Tassels of dyed rope had been sewn at the top border, to replace hair, and the gaping eye sockets had been stitched with rose-colored thread around the edges. Each of them was attached to a pair of stout-looking poles by colored ribbons. Every member of the tribe belonged to a specific banner, and they displayed distinct characteristics of personality and outlook that reflected it. They revered the banners, and were "horrified to their souls' core" if they were damaged or destroyed. Before they skinned someone, they massaged their victim's face with a "yellowish salve from a small glass jar", in order to relax their muscles and ease the process. This would leave their face drooping, with their mouth gaping open. They removed the face according to a ritual known as the "Twelve and Eighteen Steps", or the "Thirty Steps". Groups Four groups of facestretchers were named in the book, all part of the tribe that Hitch encountered. * Decisive Lightning were impatient and quick, and wanted to skin Jassad immediately and move out of the area, due to the presence of bone-takers and flaymen. There were four of them. * Patient Water were older and more tranquil, and placed the most importance in respecting traditions. * Sweet Calming Breeze took on a leadership role, encouraging dialog between the different faces. There were three of them. * Hard Obdurate Rock preferred to take their time and move at a leisurely pace. There were six of them. Category:Dreamwright & Shadowsmith